Tuesday Tidbits...

If you woke up this morning and thought it was a rerun of Monday morning...don't feel that bad.
Conditions outside are pretty damn close to the way it was just 24 hours ago.
And, the make things better (?), the entire day will appear similar in nature.
Our Hoosierland weather will bring us early morning fog, rain throughout (at least) the first half of the day, with clearing this afternoon and temperatures reaching up to around 77 degrees.

Like I said...seems like Monday all over again. Talk about your deja vu.
In any event, we're going to need that refreshing drink to get us rolling with any sense of purpose, So let's get that, as we take a look at what's been going on elsewhere...
*** First  out of the shower is our "What the hell happens today, Bob?" feature:
SEPTEMBER 19 -
---It's National Butterscotch Pudding Day

(contrary to belief, it's NOT just for seniors...heh)
---It's National IT Professional Day

(be nice to have one stashed in a closet...for emergencies, right?)
---It's Talk Like a Pirate Day

(and pale imitations of Johnny Depp do NOT count, got it?)
*** Next up, and since it IS Tuesday (which feels like Monday), let's take a look at all the FWPD calls that we never heard a thing about, because the media was too busy talking up the Emmy Awards (which had their lowest viewership - wonder why?):

SHOTS FIRED ((113)) / ARMED ROBBERY((53)) CALLS - 09/11 - 09/17
((23,113 - vandalism by gunfire))
=======================================
SEP 11 -
((NO shots fired))
((NO armed robberies))
What? Did all the mooks take another day off?
SEP 12 -
17F113133 09/12/2017 06:53pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2500 PAULDING RD E & FRUEHAUF DR
17F113166 09/12/2017 08:07pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 3200 REED ST
17F113208 09/12/2017 09:42pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2700 PAULDING RD E
17F113264 09/12/2017 11:50pm 53 ARMED ROB 100 PETTIT AVE E & CALHOUN ST S
SEP 13 -
17F113649 09/13/2017 10:18pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2900 PITTSBURG ST
((NO armed robberies))
SEP 14 -
17F113682 09/14/2017 12:06am 113 SHOTS FIRED 5000 LILLIE ST
17F113708 09/14/2017 03:53am 113 SHOTS FIRED 2600 ABBEY DR
17F114012 09/14/2017 08:02pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 3300 HARVESTER AVE  
17F114055 09/14/2017 10:20pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 1000 ROCKHILL ST & JEFFERSON BLVD
17F114080 09/14/2017 11:54pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 3300 WINTER ST
((NO armed robberies))
SEP 15 -
17F114097 09/15/2017 01:23am 113 SHOTS FIRED 5800 TURTLE CREEK DR  
17F114105 09/15/2017 01:36am 113 SHOTS FIRED 600 HUFFMAN ST
17F114555 09/15/2017 11:10pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 12100 WAYCLIFFE CT
17F114085 09/15/2017 12:08am 58 SHOOTING 3300 WINTER ST
((NO armed robberies))
SEP 16 -
17F114602 09/16/2017 12:37am 113 SHOTS FIRED 6100 BUNT DR & CHEVIOT DR
17F114637 09/16/2017 01:55am 113 SHOTS FIRED 2600 ANTHONY BLVD S & PONTIAC ST E
17F114649 09/16/2017 02:24am 113 SHOTS FIRED 1300 ARCHER AVE
17F114662 09/16/2017 03:15am 113 SHOTS FIRED 7300 DECATUR RD & TILLMAN RD E
17F114972 09/16/2017 09:36pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 2100 EDEN ST
17F114782 09/16/2017 12:21pm 53 ARMED ROB 2300 MCKEE ST
SEP 17 -
17F115038 09/17/2017 12:05am 113 SHOTS FIRED 2500 DREXEL AVE
17F115043 09/17/2017 12:11am 113 SHOTS FIRED 1000 MCKINNIE AVE & SMITH ST
17F115062 09/17/2017 12:42am 113 SHOTS FIRED 200 JACOBS AVE
17F115067 09/17/2017 12:48am 113 SHOTS FIRED 4300 GAYWOOD DR
17F115072 09/17/2017 01:08am 113 SHOTS FIRED 4100 LILLIE ST
17F115091 09/17/2017 01:35am 113 SHOTS FIRED 2300 KLUG DR
17F115103 09/17/2017 02:08am 113 SHOTS FIRED 300 MAPLE GROVE AVE W & HOAGLAND A
17F115106 09/17/2017 02:10am 113 SHOTS FIRED 1000 RUDISILL BLVD E
17F115134 09/17/2017 03:42am 113 SHOTS FIRED 4600 HANNA ST S
17F115138 09/17/2017 03:44am 113 SHOTS FIRED 5100 MOUNT VERNON PARK DR  
17F115142 09/17/2017 04:04am 113 SHOTS FIRED 5200 BOWSER AVE MOUNT 
17F115156 09/17/2017 05:26am 113 SHOTS FIRED 4700 HOLTON AVE & CAPITOL AVE
17F115233 09/17/2017 12:55pm 113 SHOTS FIRED 1200 STOPHLET ST
17F115294 09/17/2017 03:25pm 53 ARMED ROB 1300 FAYETTE DR
Wonder why SUNDAYS are so "busy"...thought it was supposed to be a DAY OF REST?
=========================57
Also, 30+ vehicle vandalism calls, 2 stabbings, 3 rapes, 5 indecent exposures, 2 pursuits, and 20 narcotics calls.
===========================
FIREWORKS CALLS - SEP 11 -SEP 17
17F114997 09/16/2017 10:25pm 44FW 7800 ABOITE CENTER RD
Yep, there's always ONE asshole, isn't there?
*** Next, Fort Wayne's downtown gets MORE improvements (is that even possible?).
Here's the story:
http://www.journalgazette.net/news/local/20170919/downtown-to-get-hampton-inn

Yes, by all means, toss another hotel downtown, because you can't even fill the rooms you already have available.
They (planners) say it's so we can hold bigger conventions, which will (no doubt) bring SO much more $$$ to Fort Wayne, that we can totally reclaim the entire SE side and make THAT viable again, from a tax revenue aspect...
(yeah, and I'm Master of the Universe...pleased to meet 'ya)
Hey, it's only $20.3 MIL (and who's gonna pay for it?)...no big deal, right?
Let the financial juggling act commence...!
*** Next up, here's something I didn't think could happen, and I will not be held to blame:

Toys R Us is filing for (chapter 11) Bankruptcy.
And the story can be found here:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-toys-r-us-bankruptcy-toymakers/toys-r-us-files-for-bankruptcy-ahead-of-holiday-season-idUSKCN1BT2AV

Now, I confess to not visiting (and spending money) there as OFTEN as I would prefer, but in recent years, the "selection" they have chosen doesn't fit MY demographic, which would be a middle age man who is still in touch with his "inner child"...lol.
Don't get me wrong...they USED to have a lot of cool things, many of which I was fortunate enough to acquire, but there has just been a lack of selection, and the online experience sucked (again, due to the LACK of selection).
They'd advertise things, but they were always out of stock...
Lemme do the math...that would leave us (we toy lovers) with WALMART...not my first choice.

K-Mart is a wash - don't have any in the FTW area anymore (again, not MY fault).
Target? Not known as a major player here.
So, we would have mainly ONLINE purchases...not a huge fan of that, because the prices are always at or near retail (many times, even higher)...where's the fairness there?
*** Next, a little program viewing note.

Ken Burns latest series, THE VIETNAM WAR is airing on your local PBS channel, and I have to say so far, it's been very good and as usual, very well told.
I did miss the first episode (thought it was next week) which tells about the run up TO our involvement, but the 2nd ep was excellent, and spoke about the corruption in the S. Vietnamese government that led to a coup and overthrow of the "president" there as well as his brother.
The 10-part series continues tonight (check listings).
*** Next up, time to stop by "Kitten Corner"...

I iz all lasered-out!

Wifey was running the cats around the house (with the laser) to tire them out.
Cripes, where do they GET all that energy, and why won't they share it with me?
They do have this one thing, where they both come in the living room and take command of the chairs there, which leaves me the sofa to watch TV.

Food, naps, play...whatta life.

Not the best choice, but beggars can't be choosers, right?
They will nap almost any place...and at any time. I admire that.
*** Next, let's check in with  "Midnight and Company"...

A dry spot to get fed.

Yes, they were both nearby the house, even when it was raining yesterday morning. As the day wore on (and got hotter), they both were on the patio (in the shade).

Room enough for both of them under the table.

Midnight preferred the patio table, while Whiskers had some foliage nearby.
And after "last call", he went off to patrol the area, while she remained close.
Wonder how that's going to work out when it DOES get cold? We shall see.
*** Last back to the laundry room...what have society become when we close our toy stores?
I mean, when I was a child, we LIVED for a chance visit to any one of them (of which there were many privately owned businesses that filled the bill. Then again, that was before the advent of those MAJOR stores.

Back in Philly, we even had a place called Kiddie City (loved going there). They closed.
Then came TRU, and children were in heaven,
Now, after decades of success, even they are "on the chopping block", as it were.
Maybe it has to do with children in America, and THEIR changing trends.

First, it was F.A.O. Schwartz, then it was Kay-Bee Toys, and now, it we might be adding TRU to the mix. The old "mom and pop" toy stores are even harder to find, if they still exist.
Video gaming systems, as well as damn near every other electronic device for social media, have supplanted much of what is used to mean to BE a child.
There is this wonderful "lack of creativity" with such things.

No real imagination.
Toss in the recent crapfest of gender identity issues and it's no wonder toy stores would close.
Kids just don't want to play in the purest sense any longer.

Ahhh, for the good old days...

Society forces them to grow up way too soon, we fail to properly supervise them in whatever other "activity" they indulge in, and we teach them to be tolerant to the point of mediocrity in our schools. We allow ignorance to morality and civility and take away their toy stores for the sake of what, exactly?
What type of adults are we creating?
We may not like the answer to that question, but we still have to ask it, don't we?

Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay SAFE out there, America.